Increase in sex crimes reflects reporting confidence
(CNS): RCIPS statistics show a significant increase in the number of sex crimes reported in the Cayman Islands in 2024. The officers investigating these offences believe that while an increase in the population has led to an increase in offending, the numbers also reflect a cultural shift as more people are willing to report this type of crime to the police. Improvements in the way these crimes are handled have created a greater degree of trust for victims and their families.
However, the increase in the number of perpetrators is worrying, and there continues to be concern that the consequences for those convicted of sexual abuse are inadequate, especially in cases involving children.
There have been calls for increased penalties as well as the controversial idea of mandatory minimum sentences. However, this creates further problems as it undermines the court’s ability to differentiate the wide range in the level of harm caused by what are considered sex crimes.
Well over 100 sex crimes were investigated by the police last year, a 21% increase from 2023, which police said reflected an increase in reported cases of rape and indecent exposure. According to the annual crime statistics report, in the majority of these sex crime cases, the offender was known to the victim. There are no indications that the island is seeing a rise in stranger attacks.
The detection rate was lower than the average for crime across the board last year, but was still relatively high, with around a third of all cases last year being solved. Another 40% remain actively under investigation.
Police Commissioner Kurt Walton said that child protection was a top priority for the RCIPS, given the impact of sexual crimes on children. The Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH), which works with all vulnerable people, handled 2,203 referrals for child safeguarding issues, a 22% increase on referrals in 2023.
Of these, 165 resulted in criminal investigations by the Protective Services and another 40 were investigated by the wider RCIPS. Not all were sexual abuse cases; some are related to varying degrees of neglect and physical abuse.
Of the 165 crimes dealt with by the Protective Services or MASH, 33% resulted in a detection or warning, 12% remain active, and 35% were determined after investigation not to be crimes.
The police have said that the increase in reports about potentially at-risk children is due in part to the increased awareness of mandatory reporting, as well as an increase in problems relating to vulnerable families.
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
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- Bored
- Afraid
Surely increase in sex crimes equates to an increase in sex crimes?
What sorcery is this?
ZERO Confidence in our Keystone cops! Watched Dennis the Menace types get away with abuse, incest, and case timed out and witness victims pressured out.
NO Need report cases here.
I said it a thousand times. Cayman is too easy on crime, too easy on criminals and much, much too easy on Drug Pushers, hard drug are every where about and are ruining people and their families. And Government and Police does very little about it. shame on them .
Immediate deportation back to the S-holes they come from would get their attention.
There is too much regional cultural acceptance , and our prison/3 meals a day, is often more comfortable than the rusty shacks they’d have to go back to.
In 2024 there were 1,787 domestic violence related referrals made to RCIPS Protective Services. These referrals can be any type of incident and does not always involve physical violence. Examples of this include Damage to Property and Harassment including cyber enabled.
Of these, 1,661 became crimes, of which the main crime categories are violence against the person and public order offences, which make up 78% of domestic related crime.
The Family Support Unit dealt with 87 of these crimes. Of these 87, 46% resulted in a detection or warning, 10% remain active, and 29% were determined after investigation to be non-crimes.
In summary 5% of domestic violence incidents were dealt with in any way shape or form. What happened to the other 95%?
They were dealt with by other units
If in the majority of these crimes, the victim knows the perpetrator…then why oh why is the detection rate so low. It should be equal to the number of cases where the victim knows who did it. No less.
Cayman courts are very light on punishment for crimes against children. The system is broken.
The problem always has been the frequency of these incidents often involves family members.
Voting buttons don’t work
The number of comments speaks volumes about cayman priorities
2012
In 2012, a young girl stepped forward with the most serious of allegations – that she had been the victim of sustained sexual abuse, perpetrated by two older male relatives. She told her story to school authorities. Then she told the police.
And then, she waited for someone to do something about it … and waited … and waited … and waited.
2015
Most child abuse goes unpunished, experts say
2017
Child abuse prevention expo this week. Three-day expo will bring together welfare agencies
New unit to tackle child abuse. A new unit has been formed to bring police, social workers and psychologists together to handle allegations of child abuse in the Cayman Islands
The headquarters of the “Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub,” to be known as MASH, in Anderson Square, George Town, was officially opened Monday morning.
Two more child sex abuse cases investigated by the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service within the past five years will not be taken to court for “a number of reasons,” including how much time passed since the cases were first reported to officers, police commanders confirmed Friday.
A third case involving “serious and historic child sexual abuse” that also faced significant delays and evidence deficiencies may still go to court, depending on what Crown prosecutors decide
2018
The documentary, “Unspeakable: Confronting Child Sexual Abuse in the Cayman Island
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIkAIWVaQ2Y
“Unspeakable” was the second major output of the Protection Starts Here multi-agency (‼️‼️‼️‼️) child abuse prevention project, which is spearheaded by the Cayman Islands Red Cross working in partnership with the Employee Assistance Programme, the Health Services Authority, the Ministry of Education, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, Sands Creative Film Studio, and the Special Needs Foundation, with funding support from Hedge Funds Care Cayman Islands.
2022
Man who molested toddler jailed for 8 years
2023
Cayman struggles to safeguard its children https://www.caymancompass.com/2023/10/11/cayman-struggles-to-safeguard-its-children/
2025
A man convicted of sexually abusing a young girl over several years has had his sentence reduced because of long delays in his trial and sentencing
In Florida, the death penalty is a potential sentence for the sexual battery of a child under. 12 years of age.
Multi-agency…too many cooks spoil the broth.
The first thing DeSantis did was to enact death penalty for sexual crimes against children.
Cayman shamelessly ignores sexual abuse of children. Barbarians.
Recently a teenager was catfished via a cyber crime (bad guys over Overseas, pretending to be a teenage girl.) the local boy’s parents contacted MASH when they found out from their son and he was extorted for money. This is called Sextortion. Sadly, the MASH unit turned the parents away and said they didn’t deal with this type of thing? That is ridiculous! Cybercrime, including cyber bullying should both be part of MASH remit?
May 19, 2025
First Lady Melania Trump joined President Donald J. Trump in the White House Rose Garden for the signing of S.146, the “TAKE IT DOWN” Act, a historic and bipartisan new law focused on protecting children and families from online extortion and exploitation through the non-consensual distribution of intimate images and deepfake abuse.
…and? Has no bearing on Cayman Islands.
Cybercrime! protecting children and families from online extortion and exploitation!
I wish more males would come forward and report it when they are assaulted (by women, too!) Guys deserve the same level of protection and their reports should we handled with empathy and respect. #NoMeansno
Indeed, there are some truly psychopathic females around, although it’s probably related to an abusive upbringing,too.
People just suck.